Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-09-21
HOW THEY DO 1T IN ENGLAND.
Office Completely Divorced from Poli-
tics.
A TALK WITH Mr.. sARGANT, OF THE BRITISH CIVIL
SERVICE COMMISSION, ON THE ARTHoD OF MAKING
APPOINTMENTS IN ENGLAND.


APPOINTMENTS IN ENGLAND.
STAR reporter called at Willard's Hotel and
had talk with Mr. E. B. Sargant OF the British
civil Service Commission. While not officially
representing the English commission Mr. Sargant
Is taking advantage OF his visit to this country to
study our civil institutions and compare civil
service methods and examinations with those of
England. In conversation with THE STAR re-
porter he said that In England neither the com.
mission nor the appointing power has any lati-
tude Of discretion in making selections Of persons
to I'LL places under civil-service rules
"For instance" he said, suppose there is a
call for fifty clerks These would be supplied under
our system OF open competition The exan1na-
tion would be open to all persons Of pr0per charac-
ter and capacity. Perhaps there would be five
hundred applicants, for the average is about ten
or twenty applicants for each vacancy OF this
class Now the nifty who attain the highest stand
ara IN the examination must be taken to I'LL these
pOSltlOnS. Tnere Is no discretion about 1t.
LIMITED EXAMINATIONS.
'Then we have the limited examinations" he
continued, 'for which candidates must be nomt-
mated. For some OF these it is required that the
candidate shall be nominated by one of the trus.
tees OF the British Museum, before he Is eligible
10 examination. The average of applicants for
theSe places Is only about three for each vacancy
''FoR SERVICE IN THE FOREIGN OFFICE
he said, the candidate must be nominated by the
minister OF foreign affairs TO illustrate: young
man who wishes to obtain service In the foreign
Office procures nomination from the minister
certifying that he Is OF proper character ETC. That
young mans name is put on our list and when-
ever there is vacancy to be filled he is summoned
ior examination. Some time may elapse between
the date OF his nomination and his examination
Now this system OF nominations works well in the
foreign ONCE. ftt were open to general cOmpeti-
t1On very few would care to take the trouble and
expense to qualify themselves for the service be-
cause the chance OF appointment would be too re-
mote. But under our system, when the young man
prOcureS his nomination he at once begins to MT
himself for duty In the foreign Office In many in
stances the nominees go abroad and study Ian
guageS. They feel warranted in this because
the limited number Of candidates gives promise O
an appointment.
CLERKS, ETC., IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
"Then, he continued, tive have some few places
for which candidates are examined, though there
is no opposition. There are clerks and others for
for each place-is nominated by the speaker. He
Is examined, and II he passes he Is appointed"
Mr. Sargant said that there ls no political oppo-
sition TO the competitive ctvtl-service system In
England; that all parties heartily endorse and
sustain It. He could not believe he said, that ali
the people OF this country, outside Of politicians
would not prefer that the ofces should be entirely
divorced from politics.